Ruthie's Graduation
by Dr. Michaela Quinn
Summary: Ruthie's ambitions and dreams are ahead of her as she graduates from high school and heads for NYU.
1. Grandma Ginger and Tears

Ruthie stood in front of her bedroom mirror and sighed. She was graduating from high school. Standing there in her cap and gown, Ruthie couldn't believe it. There were so many people counting on her. Ruthie heard footsteps and looked at the door. Ginger, her grandma, stood in the doorway smiling.

"Grandma!" Ruthie exclaimed.

"I'm so proud of you Ruthie Camden. I know your grandma and grandpa are too." Ginger said hugging her.

"I can't believe you flew in all the way from Arizona." Ruthie stated.

"I would have missed your graduation if I didn't sweetheart." Ginger replied with a smile.

"Does mom know you're here?" Ruthie asked.

"Yes. I spoke with Eric to tell him I was coming. But I chose to surprise you and Annie." Ginger stated. "Now come downstairs. Everybody is waiting for you."

"Who's everybody? Why are they waiting?" Ruthie asked.

"To eat your cake. come on, Mary and Carlos, Matt and Sarah, Lucy and Kevin, Simon, Sam and David are all here." Ginger responded smiling. Ruthie took off her cap and gown. Her long dark ringlet curls fell halfway down her back. She carefully laid the gown on the bed and turned around. Ruthie and Ginger walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Annie stood up and walked over to Ruthie.

"Dad thought Ginger should have gone to your room alone, which is why I let her." Annie stated hugging Ruthie.

"It's okay mom. I'm surprised she came all this way for my graduation." Ruthie said.

"You're her granddaughter Ruthie. She's here on her behalf and Grandpa's. Oh how I wish my parents could be here for your graduation." Annie started crying.

"Don't cry mom. They're here. In each of us." Ruthie said. "Didn't you always say that Lucy was just a picture of Grandma's past? And Simon has Grandpa's sense of humor?" Annie nodded.

"Yeah, I've said that for a long time." Annie responded. Lucy walked over and hugged Annie. She too had tears in her eyes.

"It's been a long time since Grandma died, but it still feels like yesterday at times like these." Lucy said. Annie held onto Lucy like she did when Lucy was younger.

"Yes it certainly does." Annie replied. Lucy walked back over and held onto Kevin. Eric walked into the kitchen.

"Is everybody ready for some cake?" He asked. Then he looked at Annie, Ginger, Lucy and Ruthie. "What did I say to make everybody so upset?" Ginger walked over to him.

"You didn't do anything son, we are just remembering Annie's father and that wonderful mother." Ginger replied.

"It's been so long, sometimes I even forget that it happened." Eric confessed. Annie looked at him. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. It was quiet like this for several minutes.

"Alright with all this sentimental stuff. Let's eat this cake before the icing melts." Simon said looking down at the cake holding his plate. Eric smiled.

"Simon, I think the first person who should get a piece of this cake is your sister. It is her graduation cake." Erin stated. They all looked at Ruthie. Eric sliced the cake and held up the piece to put on Ruthie's plate.

"I'm not hungry dad, give Simon my piece." Ruthie put the plate down on the counter and ran up the stairs. Annie looked up at the stairs, but Ginger put her hand on Annie's shoulder.

"Annie, I wouldn't advise going up there." Ginger said.

"What do you mean? Ruthie is my daughter." Annie replied taking another look at the stairs.

"I know she is. But she's hurting right now, and you can't fix what she's going through. She has to process this by herself." Ginger stated.

"There isn't a thing I can do for her?" Annie asked.

"Not this time Annie. The kind of pain she's in right now can only be dealt with by Ruthie. You and Eric can't fix it this time." Ginger replied. Annie looked up at the stairs one more time and sighed. She knew Ginger was right, only time will tell.


	2. Talking with Lucy

Ruthie lay on the bed. She wasn't sure if she wanted to get up; despite the fact that today was her high school graduation. When she heard footsteps in her room she rolled over where her back was facing the door. Lucy knocked on the wall.

"Ruthie?" Lucy asked. "Can I come in?" Ruthie grunted. Lucy walked in. "Ruthie? Come on, sit up. Talk to me." Lucy sat on the bed next to her baby sister and rubbed her shoulder. "What's wrong Ruthie? Mom and Dad are downstairs with Ginger; it's almost time to leave for the graduation." Ruthie sat up and looked at Lucy.

"I don't want to graduate. I don't even want to get out of bed." Ruthie replied. Lucy looked at her.

"Has high school graduation gotten you this upset? Ruthie, I can't believe that you of all of us would be worried." Lucy stated. Ruthie wiped a tear off her cheek.

"It's not that. Grandma and Grandpa won't be at my graduation." Ruthie replied.

"Oh." Lucy responded and just looked at Ruthie. "Grandma wasn't there for any of our graduations Ruthie." Ruthie nodded.

"I know that. But I was Grandma's baby. Sam and David weren't born yet when Grandma died. And Grandpa made it to yours, Mary and Matt's graduations." Ruthie replied.

"That's what you're worried about? Since Grandma and Grandpa won't be here for your graduation?" Lucy questioned with all sincerity. Ruthie nodded.

"Grandma was talking about how Grandpa and Grandma were with us and they'd be with me for graduation and that's when I wished they really could be here. I want to hug them and let them tell me they love me and they're proud of me." Ruthie started crying. "Does that make sense?" Lucy nodded.

"Of course it does Ruthie. I felt the same way about Grandma when I graduated. It hurt all of us so much when Grandma died. Even though it's been so long ago, sometimes-" Lucy started to say.

"It still feels like yesterday." Ruthie interrupted and Lucy nodded again.

"You're right. When I got married to Kevin, I broke down and cried with Mom because I remembered she wouldn't be with Grandpa when I sent the invitation. It's hard. I just never realized it was that hard on you Ruthie." Lucy said.

"I've always tried to hide it. You've always shed enough tears for the whole family." Ruthie stated with a laugh. Lucy chuckled.

"I have always been good at sharing my emotions and not being afraid to cry." Lucy replied.

"Oh we know." Ruthie laughed. She wiped her eyes again.

"Are you ready to go? The Colonel and Ruth are here. Mom told them she didn't think you wanted visitors right now." Lucy said. Ruthie nodded and stood up.

"Thanks Luce. I think you'd do a good job counseling people." Ruthie said. Lucy smiled.

"Well thank you Ruthie." Lucy replied. "Come on." They walked down the stairs. There in the living room was Annie, Eric, Colonel, Ruth, Kevin, Savannah, Sam, David, Simon, Matt and Sarah.

"Ruth, I'm very happy to see you." Grandma Ruth said looking at Ruthie. Colonel looked at Eric.

"Five down, two more to go Eric." He said. Eric nodded.

"Yes, we're all so proud of Ruthie." Annie walked over and hugged her. She looked at her. "Are you feeling better?" Ruthie nodded.

"Yeah. My talk with Lucy really helped." Ruthie responded.

"Good ol' Luce." Annie stated and smiled. Ruthie grabbed her jacket off the rail and went outside. Took in a breath of fresh air and got ready to graduate high school.


	3. The Announcement

**A/N: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write a chapter. I am hoping to have all my Fanfiction stories finished by Valentine's Day and if I go at the rate I'm at right now hopefully that'll work. =) **

Ruthie collapsed on her bed after the graduation ceremony. She couldn't believe it was finally over. She sighed a sigh of relief as she stood up again and started to take off her gown. Ruthie took off the gown and laid it on the bed. She took off her graduation dress and put it on the hanger and switched into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. After that she sat on the bed and just rested. They were going for a family dinner, but Annie had already told her that it wouldn't be until later so Ruthie could get some rest. Ruthie walked over to her desk and picked up the white envelope that she had opened yesterday. It was from New York University. That's where Ruthie had been dying to go to school, but Annie kept talking about wanting her to stay close to home. Ruthie hadn't had the heart to tell her mom that she was going to be all the way across the country. Matt and Mary were already in New York all the time, but this was different. Ruthie would only be there for nine months out of the year and her schooling is only four years. Ruthie sighed. She had to tell her sometime. She decided she might as well tell them all at once. Ruthie picked up the letter and walked towards the stairs.

[

Downstairs, the entire family was crowded into the living room.

"I can't believe Ruthie graduated high school already." Ginger said with a sigh.

"Oh I can't either." Annie stated. "It feels like just yesterday she was starting school and now she's finished. I have been trying to talk to her about going to school close to home, but she won't talk to me about where she wants to go to college. Now that she's graduated, I'm hoping she'll take more of an interest in furthering her education."

"I'm sure she wants to continue her education Annie." Grandma Ruth said with a nod as if she wouldn't let her youngest granddaughter not finish her schooling.

"Maybe we should leave that up to Ruthie." Eric stated trying to neutral ground.

"Where are Matt and Sarah?" Simon asked looking around the room.

"They had to leave to head back to New York. They are both on call at the hospital." Annie replied.

"What about the big family dinner?" Sam asked. Annie shrugged.

"When you're a doctor, you're really busy guys. That's all Matt told me." Annie replied.

"It's okay. We'll make sure to eat more for them. Won't we Savannah?" Lucy asked tickling her daughter. Savannah laughed. (**A/N: I thought Savannah was born in season eight? Maybe nine? So she's old enough to talk by this time; because this story would actually be two years after the series ended to begin with.**)

"Stop!" Savannah said laughing.

"Where's Ruthie mom?" Lucy asked.

"I told her to take off her cap and gown and that she could stay up in her room for a little while and unwind. This is a lot for one day." Annie stated and Lucy nodded.

"I remember when I graduated, it was crazy." Lucy said.

"No, what was crazy was your wedding day." Simon interjected and everybody laughed.

"Yeah, I guess that was pretty hectic." Lucy smiled.

"It certainly was. It stormed that entire night and you weren't even sure you and Kevin were going to get married. I'll remember that night very well." Mary said with a laugh.

"But I'm really glad we got married." Lucy stated as she looked up at Kevin. He leaned down and kissed her.

"So am I." Kevin replied. Ruthie walked into the room.

"Everybody," Ruthie paused, "I have an announcement to make." Everything paused so that they could hear Ruthie.

"Well what is it Ruthie?" Eric asked. Ruthie sighed.

"I know that I haven't talked much about where I want to go for college; and that's because I wasn't sure I was going to get accepted for sure where I wanted to go, but now that I know I have been accepted and I've graduated I think it's time that I tell you." Ruthie said. Annie was grinning ear to ear. This was what she had been waiting to hear. Ruthie had decided to go to USC or something close like that. Ruthie was holding and envelope and Annie was curious what was in it. Ruthie opened the envelope and held up the letter.

"Yesterday," Ruthie paused and smiled, "yesterday I got my acceptance letter for New York University! I'm going to be starting in the fall!" Ruthie exclaimed.


	4. Growing Up?

**A/N: WOW, so it's really been two and a half years since I wrote a chapter? I hope this last chapter is worth the wait for you all =) Enjoy! =)**

Ruthie looked around the living room for reactions from her family. Directly across from her, Annie sat in the chair with Eric standing behind her. Sam and David sat on the floor in front of her chair. On the couch on Ruthie's left, Simon, Kevin and Ginger were seated. Savannah was sitting in Kevin's lap and Lucy sat on the arm of the couch closest to Ruthie. Then on the other couch, Grandma Ruth, Mary and Carlos were watching Ruthie and the Colonel paced behind the couch. It was quiet for several minutes. Annie's mouth had dropped open. She couldn't believe that her daughter was considering moving across the country to go to school. Matt and Mary were both in New York and neither of them came home very often. She wasn't sure she wanted her baby girl so far away from them. Ruthie seemed determined to go, but maybe it's because she thinks they want her to stay close enough to home where she can be with them all the time. If she wanted the independence of going away to college she could go to USC. That's far enough away from home that she'd have to stay there, but she could come home whenever she wanted.

"Are you really going to New York?" Lucy asked with a smile finally breaking the silence. Ruthie nodded.

"Yeah; I love the school and I'm excited to start my classes. It's the best program in the United States. There is a school in England with a great program that I looked into while I was in Scotland, but the fees are too expensive for an international student.

"You'll be close to us Ruthie," Mary chimed in, "you can come and stay with me and Carlos anytime."

"Hey, thanks." Ruthie smiled.

"I'm sure Matt and Sarah would love having you around Ruthie." Lucy stated. Kevin wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Ruthie smiled and looked around.

"Well, they need me soon for some sort of orientation. I have the money saved. I'll fly out tomorrow, so I need to go pack." Ruthie turned around and walked up the front steps leaving the room in a buzz and her parents stunned. Lucy turned to Kevin and glanced at her mom.

"Come on Savannah; it's been a long day and I'm sure you could use a nap." Lucy picked up four year old Savannah and Kevin stood up behind them. Feeling the tension, Simon stood up.

"I'll go with you." Lucy looked at her little brother and nodded. They walked towards the kitchen to head out to their house. Mary and Carlos looked at each other.

"I'm hungry, are you?" Mary asked and Carlos nodded. Then they stood up and walked into the kitchen leaving Ginger, the Colonel, Grandma Ruth, Annie and Eric in the living room with the twins. Annie leaned down to them.

"Boys, why don't you take Happy and go upstairs?" Sam looked up at her and then looked around the room.

"Come on Happy!"

"Happy!" David said. Her ears perked up and they went up the stairs.

"She's not going." The Colonel said firmly. Eric looked at him.

"That's Ruthie's choice to make." Grandma Ruth laughed.

"Eric, that's all the way across the country. You can't let her go that far. She could go to Stanford right here in California."

"Do you want my opinion?" Ginger asked. Four sets of eyes turned to her, but ignored her.

"She is not going, end of story." The Colonel said.

"Ruthie is our daughter, and we can talk to her about whether or not she's going to go." Annie stated.

"My granddaughter is not going to be in an unknown city three thousand miles away from her parents. I would feel better knowing that we aren't far from her; but your mother and I still live six hours from New York City."

"Mary lives there and so does Matt." The Colonel scoffed.

"Don't get me started with Mary." Eric's muscles in his shoulders, arms, back and face stiffened.

"What?"

"You sent Mary to live with us in Buffalo because you couldn't control her. Or don't you remember that, Eric?" He snapped and Eric exhaled sharply. "If you aren't careful, Ruthie is going to be just like Mary." Grandma Ruth stood up.

"Come on John." She walked him to the front door and closed it behind them. Eric sighed and looked at Ginger.

"I'm sorry about that." She nodded with a smile.

"Can I say something?" Annie nodded quickly.

"Go ahead, Ginger." She turned and took Annie's hand in her own.

"Ruthie has to make the decision of where she wants to go. Nobody can make the decision for her; but I think you and Eric will be able to talk to her. She respects both of you as her parents and she'll listen to you." Annie turned to look at Eric.

"I hope so." She muttered. Annie glanced at the staircase. "I think I'll go talk to her."

"Do you know what you're going to say?" Eric asked and she turned to him.

"I think so." She stood up and walked up the stairs to Ruthie's bedroom. She knocked on the wall when she got to the doorway. Ruthie's back was turned to her as she packed the suitcase sitting on her bed.

"Ruthie?" Annie stepped into the attic. Ruthie stopped to turn to her mother.

"Mom, before you say anything," she started to say and sat down on the bed, "I know you don't like the idea of me going to New York University; but it is one of the best schools in the country."

"It's so far away. You can go to Stanford, University of Southern California, or California State. You will have the independence of being on your own, but you will still be close enough to home." Ruthie looked at her mom as she spoke.

"I really want to go to NYU. It's a really great program, mom." Annie sighed.

"Ruthie, are you going because it's so far away?" Ruthie scoffed.

"I went to Scotland for a year. I didn't have to come home for my senior year in high school; I chose to. If this was defiance for not wanting to be here with you, dad and the boys; I wouldn't be here. I checked all the schools around and this one has the most to offer."

"Plus it's across the country." Ruthie stood up.

"I'll be with Matt and Mary! I'll only be gone nine months of each year and I'll come home during vacations. You aren't losing me." Ruthie touched her mother's arm gently. Annie looked down at her.

"I would prefer it if you would go to a school closer to home." Annie stated.

"I'm sorry, but I was accepted to NYU and that's where I want to go. So if you'll let me finish packing so I can fly out tomorrow." Ruthie turned away from her mom signaling that she wasn't going to discuss it any further. Annie was furious. She didn't know why Ruthie was so insistent on going to that school. She walked towards the door and turned her body three quarters when she reached the doorway.

"Come down for your graduation dinner?"

"I'm not hungry." Ruthie said without turning around. She had returned to her packing with more determination this time. Annie walked down the stairs and found Eric closing the door.

"They're gone."

"Who's gone?" She questioned and he sighed.

"My parents; they chose to take a flight back to New York tonight. They've gone to their hotel and will call when they get back to Buffalo." Annie sighed.

"This was supposed to be such a nice dinner for Ruthie." Ginger walked over and smiled.

"I'm still here." She opened her arms and laughed. Her smile disappeared when Eric and Annie looked at her. "I'm trying to lighten the mood."

"Thank you Ginger," Eric said, "what did Ruthie say?"

"She's leaving for New York and packing a bag right now."

"And the day keeps getting better."

* * *

><p>That night, Annie was lying in bed unable to sleep. Finally, when she turned onto her left side Eric spoke up. He looked up at her from over his reading glasses.<p>

"What's wrong Annie?" She looked at him.

"I can't believe she's going to go. I suggested other colleges, and told her she could be independent but she still wants to go over there."

"Did she say why? Or does she insist she wants to go to New York University?" Annie frowned.

"She keeps saying that she wants to go because they have the best program for her major." Eric adjusted his seat on the bed.

"Did you think that could be true?" Annie sighed and pulled the blanket up closer to her.

"I don't know. It could be," she paused, "but if she goes to New York we're going to lose her; just like we lost Mary." He took off his glasses.

"You don't know that. But if we push our own ideas on her we're going to lose her. Annie, she has to make her own decisions. She is an adult and a high school graduate."

"I know." She said frustrated. Eric nodded.

"Maybe she'll decide not to go if she thinks you support her."

"Would that work?" Annie cocked her head and Eric shook his head biting down on the tip of his glasses.

"No, I don't think so. But she will think you respect her decision."

"I do want her to go to school, but I don't know why she wants to go so far away." Eric looked into her eyes.

"Annie, I don't think we're looking at this the way we should. Instead of looking at our daughter who's grown and ready to leave for the real world; we still see her as the baby and we can't do that." Annie sighed.

"But she is my baby." Eric nodded.

"I know, but she's eighteen years old. She wasn't going to stay in Glen Oak forever." She leaned up on her elbow.

"Why are you acting so calm about all of this? What are you planning?" Annie asked. Eric shook his head.

"Letting her go to school in New York was not as difficult as letting our sixteen year old daughter go to Scotland for a year." Eric sat back on the bed and continued to read through his Bible and the sermon notes he had been preparing. But truthfully, he wasn't planning on preaching that Sunday. He had come up with an idea that he hoped would satisfy both Annie and Ruthie; but he didn't know when to talk to them about it. He had tomorrow morning before Ruthie left and that was it.

* * *

><p>Annie and Eric were sitting at the kitchen table the next morning when Ruthie came down the stairs with her suitcase.<p>

"Oh hi," she said, "I didn't expect you guys to be up." Eric stood up from his seat at the table and gestured for Ruthie to sit down.

"I want to talk to both of you, if you'll sit down for a minute." Ruthie nodded with a confused glance and put her suitcase on the floor in front of her feet as she sat down. Eric stood in front of them grasping a hold of the chair.

"Eric, what is it?" Annie questioned.

"Yeah dad, what's going on?" He smiled.

"I think I have figured out the solution to our problem."

"You have?" Ruthie asked.

"Annie, you don't want Ruthie to go because it's so far away and we've never seen the school right?" Annie nodded.

"That was a concern of mine."

"Ruthie, you want to go because they have a good program right?"

"Well yeah." Eric nodded.

"So, for Ruthie's orientation, I'll go with her. I'll see the school and make sure everything's okay. I'll check in with Matt and Sarah while I'm there as well as Mary and Carlos and make sure everything's okay for Ruthie to be there."

"You want to go to my college orientation?" Ruthie asked. "That's for students only dad."

"I won't be going to your orientation meetings; but I want to get a feel for your campus and have something to report back to your mom." He replied. Ruthie looked at him and then over at her mom.

"But don't you need a plane ticket?"

"I can take care of that when we get to the airport," he responded.

"Eric, you've thought of everything," Annie stated and he nodded again. Ruthie crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair.

"As long as I get to go, I don't care if you go or not."

"Annie?"

"Mom?" They both turned to look at her. She sighed.

"I guess as long as you give it the okay Eric, she'll be okay," she paused, "but I want to hear from Matt and Mary before she goes for school in the fall."

"I'll do it," Eric replied.

"You'll let me go mom?" Annie nodded. "I meant it. I'm not going just to get away from you guys. I love you." Ruthie turned in her chair and hugged her mom.

"You're the youngest girl Ruthie. It's just harder to let go of you than it was the others." She nodded. Ruthie stood up and took her suitcase towards the door. She stopped and looked towards them.

"Thanks." As she walked out the door to put her suitcases in the van, Annie and Eric sighed. Watching her leave, they pictured five year old Ruthie with her chin length baby curls all over her head and a fedora wrapped around her neck holding a plastic tea cup.

"She's really grown up."

"She has." Annie agreed and then sighed. "I have to go check on the boys. We do still have two children at home." Annie walked up the stairs and Eric walked out the door. He saw Ruthie sitting in the driver's seat of the van, but he still couldn't get the picture of that little girl out of his head. She was all grown up, but still so little at the same time. Was that possible? Could it happen? There was a world out there that she was about to experience, and he was happy for her.

"_I always want the best for all our children. She's got so many ideas and plans for her life. Ruthie's not leaving us; she's just starting a new phase in her life."_

**THE END (Finally right? :D)**


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